We are delighted to join in kicking off the 17th edition of the Caine Prize for African Fiction.

A few days ago, the organizers revealed the shortlisted writers. All five writers are now in the running for the £10,000 prize, which will be awarded on July 4 at one of the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford.

The one surprise in the list is Tope Folarin, who is a returning champion. Folarin won the Caine Prize in 2013. He has now been re-shortlisted for the prize and stands the chance of winning it a second time. He is definitely one to watch.

The other Nigerian shortlistee is Lesley Nneka Arimah. Her writing defies generic category—a mashup of scifi, fantasy, and speculative fiction.

Lidudumalingani is a Cape Town filmmaker with a stunningly beautiful Instagram page. It’s worth checking out.

The Zimbabwean shortlistee, Bongani Kona, is pursing a masters in creative writing at the University of Cape Town and writes for Chimurenga.

Abdul Adan represents both Somalia and Kenya. It’s nice to know that he is one of the founding members of the Jalada collective—a group of young visionaries doing amazing things with African literature.

Chair of Judges Delia Jarrett-Macauley praises the writers on the list for exploring formal innovation as opposed to political themes.

“The high standard of the entries was clear,” writes Jarrett-Macauley, “particularly noteworthy was the increasing number of fantasy fictions [with] the sci-fi trend resonating in several excellent stories.”

The Caine Prize was first awarded in 2000. Today, it is recognized as a leading African literary institution.

Congrats to all five authors. May the best writer win!

Scroll down to read the shortlisted stories. Let us know what you think in the comment section.

About Ainehi Edoro

I hold a doctorate in English from Duke University and recently joined the Marquette University English faculty as an Assistant Professor. I love teaching African fiction and contemporary British novels. Brittle Paper is the virtual space/station where I play and experiment with ideas on how to reinvent African fiction and literary culture.

The two Nigerian stories are really boring ….am already discouraged to read the remaining 3. I actually enjoyed Miracle from Tope 3yrs ago n am reading Genesis -wondering if I should just endure the fuel queue or read on. Well Lesley’s stories have always been strange so am not surprised.

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I hold a doctorate in English from Duke University and recently joined the Marquette University English faculty as an Assistant Professor. I love teaching African fiction and contemporary British novels. Brittle Paper is the virtual space/station where I play and experiment with ideas on how to reinvent African fiction and literary culture.

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